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Williams, Green thriving as pass rushers in new ASU defensive scheme

As a high school senior, Ashley Williams should be going through his graduation checklist and figuring out which design should decorate his cap and gown.


Instead, the freshman defensive end is an early enrollee in spring football, quickly becoming a name to watch for Arizona State next season.


The four-star recruit from Zachary, La., is continuing an impressive streak of days with the first defensive group out on the field. It was only just a few months ago that Williams was one of the biggest signing day adds for Arizona State. After locking in with the Sun Devils, Williams knew getting integrated with the program as fast as possible would help him reach the heights he wants to as a player.


“High school was fun, but I came here for a reason, you know? So I can get better and be the best I can be,” the true freshman said.


Williams said he and Arizona State had a “love at first sight” type of relationship, with head coach Kenny Dillingham entering the recruiting fold much later than other schools. The 6-5 225-pound edge rusher is adjusting to the rapid pace Dillingham has set and maintained through the first week and beyond.


“I’ll say, like the first practice, it was really tiring for me,” Williams noted. “But going straight through it, practice to practice, it will be way better.”


Through five spring practices, Williams has been able to showcase exactly what made him a coveted prospect in the first place. He already wields a refined spin move that can take even Arizona State’s veteran offensive linemen by surprise. Williams uses his combination of length and quickness to get up on opponents’ toes quickly and force close-quarters engagements much earlier than expected.

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Williams will have to carve out his role behind more established players, so he supplied a succinct answer on how to make a difference while earning his stripes.


“Speed,” Williams said. “If you need a man to come in, I’m the guy.”


For now, Williams is soaking in the knowledge and experience of his teammates. His conversations with other new Arizona State EDGE rushers, like transfers Clayton Smith and Prince Dorbah, are frequent between reps. Williams uses them as a resource to point him in the right direction when improving his technique and meeting ASU’s defensive linemen coach Vince Amey’s strict qualifications. He has also formulated his arsenal of pass rush moves off two accomplished NFL players he looks up to for their dominance at the pro level.


“I watch Von Miller a lot,” Williams said. “Myles Garrett, even though he’s very big, but I still watch him as well.”


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BJ Green entered the transfer portal in December before withdrawing his name. Fast forward a few months later, Green holds a steadfast belief that the Sun Devils are headed in a new direction that will unlock his skills for good.


“Honestly, when you build so much at one place, you don’t want to leave everything that you built there,” Green explained. “I see what the school can be, what we’re going to be. I see glimpses of it in practice and what we are working toward, what we train for as a collective. I believe in what Coach Dillingham wants to do with us.


“I believe in his plan for me and his plan for this defense. I believe in Coach Ward, so you know, it was a collective decision.”


As a freshman walk-on under former defensive line coach Robert Rodriguez in 2021, Green led the team in sacks from the 3-technique position. His speed-to-power style and low center of gravity allowed him to fly by slower offensive guards who had trouble matching his pace.


However, Green’s production slightly tapered off in 2022 as he was a victim of double teams when defending the inside run. When the previous coaching staff realized this, he underwent an experiment at the defensive end spot. As a weapon off the edge, Green began to find more success. As a result, the lineman has spent most of spring ball with the EDGE group and has primarily played that position in the 11-on-11 team period as well.


Last season, Ward generated 33 sacks from the Washington State defense. The 49-year-old defensive coordinator is installing an aggressive scheme that causes chaos at the line of scrimmage. Ward views Green as a valuable chess piece who can play multiple positions all over the line if needed.


“BJ’s just a football player,” Ward said. “We can move him anywhere; he can play all four (positions). He’s so versatile, and we’re going to put him in those situations where we’re going to try to get him as many single (matchups) as possible so he can be disruptive.”


Now receiving the tutelage of Amey, Green has enjoyed an easy transition to new coaching.


“Coach Amey is a very energetic person,” Green said. “He conveys what he wants us to do; it’s very obvious what he wants to see out of us. He makes it known that he expects the best out of us every day. There’s no turning it off. He wants that out of us every day.


Green has secured the most sacks by any defensive player this spring. Quarterbacks are still not allowed to be touched as a safety precaution, but Dillingham has made sure to give the pass rushers their flowers. The 32-year-old head coach watches the pocket closely and determines if the quarterback would have time to throw in a real game. Completions and explosive plays have been wiped away by a lively Dillingham announcing the upcoming down will take place behind the chains.


“I’m going to do what I should have been doing the past few seasons,” Green said. “I’m gonna keep doing that. These opportunities for this defense, you know, they create opportunities for me, and I’m gonna take advantage of every single one of them.”

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